It Always Does
by Rendered Reversed
Summary: In which Amu falls, Ikuto falls, Tadase is ignored, and life goes on. Implied/Slight AMUTO, drabble-oneshot. Scene recognizeable to all SC/Amuto fans.


She's falling. Faster than she ever had fallen before; even faster than she had fell when her chara change with Ran disappeared the very first time. She knows she's falling, but she doesn't feel it. Her mind is blank for just a sliver of a moment, a moment that could very well kill her.

But she doesn't know that. All she knows is that her body is dropping, being pulled down by the force of gravity. The wind isn't pushing against her sides; it's being pushed by _her_ and the knowledge of that was more than slightly terrifying. She's scared.

But she doesn't even understand that anymore.

Whipped from all knowledge of everything and nothing at all, she supposes that if this were any other situation, she would feel a calming peace blanket her. And in all intents and purposes, this wasn't any other situation. She is falling; dropping altitude fast. Nothing can save her; Ran's desperate voice couldn't save her and her friends' cries couldn't save her either.

She wants to give in, give in to the air and sky and wind and just… fall. Just forget everything, but that would be selfish, too selfish, and she knows if that happened she wouldn't be able to be herself anymore. It was only a slight moment, but the thought was there. It had been there, and that was enough.

Because after all was said and done in that second, she was still falling.

Something tugged on her heart, on her soul, yelling that she wasn't dead yet. She happily told that voice to shut up and go jump in a ditch. But it was still there, yelling and screaming and giving her hope. Hope that she didn't need, because she was dead, wasn't she?

And the wisps of memories said differently, as well.

Her consciousness is forced into awareness, body shoved back into the state of _being_ again, and she remembers. Eyes fluttered open, wishing, praying it _wasn't true…_ But it was, and she inwardly leaps for joy.

His arms are wrapped around her ever so tightly, clinging to her as if she were the only thing that mattered in the world. It was a naïve fantasy, maybe even worse than that because of everything they've been through, but anything was better than hoping for death right now. After all, he was with her. If she died, he would too.

He knows that. But he still clings to her, holds her so protectively, as if to shield her away from the world.

And then hope whispers inside of her head again, growing louder with each breath. Hope had full intentions of using him, using one of her many weaknesses to make her believe. So she did, and unconsciously snuggled deeper inside of his embrace.

"Amu…" he breathily murmurs as he sees the ground nearing closer. Almost… so close… but if he could hold her now (and he already was) just like this, perhaps this was a fitting end. There were so many things left incomplete, so many loose ends to tie, but he takes what comes to him. It's all he has left, anyways.

His body is arched to brace for impact, trying to desperately soften the blow for her, even if he knows that the height they fell from would surely kill her too, either way. He doesn't want her to feel pain, for she is still so young and innocent and untouched, it would be shameful not to protect her now… now, when he's rendered useless and unimportant to her and his nearing fate.

The sharp, jagged pain of breaking bones and impact never came to them, though. He assesses quickly what happens, and despite all the grudges and events, a small smile and swell of pride makes it into his chest. After all, the one who saved them both was the child that had admired him in his very early years of life. No cat, stray or not, truly turns their back on their pride.

And he was nothing but the very aforementioned animal.

Observations, for him at least, only took a second, and after he sees that Amu is very much still okay, he takes a strong leap and summersaults to a target landing. He smiles a rueful, relief filled smile; one that is filled with burdens, pain, and hope all the same.

Because he takes what comes to him, and doesn't complain. She would be his or she wouldn't be, and that's all there was to it.

But he notices, he always does, that after she had registered what had happened in the prince's arms, her eyes swivel from building to building, looking for the tall and familiar figure.

He stays just long enough that she sees him, and maybe even allows her to take a glance at the grin he has on his face.

She was safe. He was alive, though probably not for long, but long enough to savor the moment. And life will go on, because it always does.

Even if she selfishly wished that the fall could've lasted a _bit _longer.

**No continuations, sorry. Just needed to get that out of my system :S For some reason that scene popped up in my mind and I was like, "Must… Use… To full advantage!"**

**If you noticed, it started in Amu's view, somewhat changed to Ikuto's, and then ended with Amu's. Yeah, I'm cruel.**

**-[Why'd you have to have **Rendered **me **Reversed**?]**


End file.
